Schools to only flag parents about 'serious safety issues' if change approved by board of education
The board will also vote to rename of 3 elementary schools
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago Board of Education held its monthly meeting on Thursday.
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Board members are expected to overhaul the way schools track disruptive behavior and how it communicates with families about incidents at school.
It comes in the wake of removing school resource officers in the fall.
The board is slated to approve changes to the student code of conduct.
If the board votes to change it, schools would only flag behaviors that represent a serious safety issue, such as bringing a weapon to school.
Letters alerting parents about those behaviors would no longer refer to them as "misconduct" or "violations."
District officials claim that language stigmatizes young children.
The proposed changes are part of a broader district move away from punitive discipline, which they believe disproportionally affects students of color and students with disabilities.
This comes after a recent study by the University of Chicago, U of I and Lurie Children's Hospital which showed removing police officers from school did not make students or teachers feel less safe.
READ ALSO | Chicago Board of Education votes to remove school resource police officers from CPS schools
The board will also vote on a proposal to rename three Chicago Public Schools.
Supporters of the change said the current names do not reflect the school's communities.
If approved by the full board, Melville Fuller Elementary in Bronzeville would become James Farmer Junior Elementary, in honor of the civil rights leader.
Christopher Columbus Elementary in Ukrainian Village would be named after late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
James Monroe Elementary would become Logan Square Elementary.
Before the meeting, members of the Chicago Teachers Union spoke to the media to address budget matters and their impact on students.
During the press conference members called out CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, for what they call a reckless budget cut proposal.
The union said more than 330 paraprofessionals and teachers assistants received pink slips for next year.
ABC 7 Chicago reached out to CPS for a statement.
